


Dusk at Sunrise

by Ruunkur



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Crimson Flower Route, I was high as fuck when I wrote this while I was also trying to keep up with a LARP, Random Named OC Children, There's some Felix/Sylvain if you squint really really really hard, enjoy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:53:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ruunkur/pseuds/Ruunkur
Summary: On the morning of his birthday, Felix decides to visit his old home.





	Dusk at Sunrise

The ruins of the estate surrounded the man with each step he took. Snow drifted in through the broken roof, birds and other wildlife making the space a home. The man stopped, looking upwards at the broken mantel of the fireplace.

"To think, this was once considered a great place."

His gaze cut to the ruins of a tapestry and he stepped closer, reaching up. He smoothed out a section, letting out a huff. A horse ran across the field, and he let the tapestry drop. He let out a scoff, touching the pommel of his hilt.

"To think, they would let this place to go ruin."

He tilted his head when a stone clattered. His gaze flicked to the way he had come, his path silent. He turned, looking towards the back of the hall.

He stepped forward, watching where he placed his feet. When he heard a second stone clatter, he surged forward, drawing to a halt in front of a door. He drew his weapon, watching the child slide down a fallen chunk of wall.

"I-"

The swordsman whirled as a man yelled, his sword flashing through the air and sinking into flesh. He pulled the blade away, swinging as a second bandit moved. He heard the child cry behind him as he disposed to the man, kneeling down and wiping the blade on the fallen bandit's shirt.

"How many?"

His voice was rough, worn from years of fighting.

"T-three."

He jerked around, flashing his sword as a third bandit appeared from the end of the room, a hand-axe held in his grip. The swordsman surges forward, water in motion as he jammed the sword through the bandit. He pulled the blade from him, cleaning it on the bandit's shirt.

"Just three?"

He turned, staring down at the red haired girl. Her eyes were wide, horrified. Tears stream down her face. She nodded, running a sleeve over her nose. "T-three," she whimpered, surging forward and hugging the man's knees.

The man hesitated, reaching down and touching her head. "Can you... tell me your name?" he asked, his hands trembling.

"Mia."

The man nodded, glancing around the place. "Where's your parents?"

The girl cried harder, her grip tightening on Felix's legs. He bent down, moving to pull her up and into his arms. She let go long enough to allow him to move her. Then, tiny arms clasped around his neck, leaving the man to hum.

"Are you from the village?" The man asked, jerking his head when he heard boots fall on the ground outside. He adjusted his grip on the girl, ignoring the wet spot on his jacket. He narrowed his eyes, touching the hilt of his sword and drawing it, his movements limited and awkward.

He stepped forward, pausing just be the door with how heavy those boots sounded-

"Mia!"

He froze as the man's voice rang through the ruins, adjusting his grip on the sword. He let out a curse, glancing at the kid in his other arm.

"Dorothea!"

He listened to Mia cry into his shirt, his footsteps sounding along the walls as he stepped out of the room. "Bandits are dead."

He heard the men stop, the armored boots echoing. The swordsman cursed himself, holding his sword upwards.

"Uh, there were three of them and they had a kid in this room?" He edged forward, hoping, just enough that-

"Halt!"

He froze, his gaze sliding up as the knight leveled a lance at his throat. He let go of the sword in his hand, listening to it clatter to the ground in the silence.

"Daddy!"

Mia squirmed in the swordsman's arm and he knelt, placing her on the ground. She stumbled but a man caught her, his lance thrown on the ground. He scooped the child up, holding her close. "Mia, Mia, Mia," he whispered.

The swordsman shifted, glancing towards the mantel. The wind howled above them, snow starting to drift into the building. He bent to pick up his sword, his motions sharp. There was no more time to waste, not with the snow.

"Wait."

The man stopped, a strand of hair falling in his face. He glanced upwards, meeting the Lance of Ruin at eye level.

"Why are you here?"

The swordsman swallowed, looking up the wood to-

"Margrave Gautier, we found-"

The man whirled, the swordsman pulling back to avoid being hit by the spear. "Thea?"

There was a moment and the swordsman saw a knight holding a body, brown hair spilling over his arms. The lance was in the man's hands in an instance, the tip digging into his throat. "What did you do?" he roared, Mia crying behind him.

"I-"

"He killed them!" Mia tugged on the Margrave's cloak, shaking her head. "The bad men."

He glanced from the girl to the swordsman, gritting his teeth. "Did you save my daughter?"

The swordsman let out a sharp sigh through his nose. "Yes."

"Why are you here?"

He tilted his head, glancing at the knights that stand behind Margrave Gautier.

"My wife is dead, answer me!"

"I saw the building and was curious about the ruins." Not a lie. He drew in another breath, feeling the press of the lance against his throat. "Saw two bandits and killed them down the hall, the third is in the room on the right, fourth door down."

One of the men turned, heading down the the hallway and shouting when he discovered the three bodies. The Margrave shifted, lowering the lance an inch. "How-"

"Father?"

The swordsman glanced at the door, his eyes narrowing. The teenager stopped, framed in the doorway. The swordsman shifted, picking his weapon up as soon as the lance was removed from his neck. "Aris, what did I tell you?"

The teenager shifted, looking at the Lance of Ruin with wide eyes before looking at the man holding it. "You're Sylvain Gautier!"

"Aris."

The boy stopped, glancing at the man with a scowl. "It's not like-"

"Aris!" The swordsman snapped the name once more, watching the boy jump. Sylvain glanced between the teenager and the man, his eyes narrowing. "Where are the horses?"

The teenager opened his mouth, glancing over his shoulder before turning and setting off. He was still scowling, the swordsman crossing his arms over his chest.

"Good day, Margrave Gautier."

He moved to make his way past the man, feeling a hand on his shoulder. "Will you at least tell me your name?"

He tensed, turning to meet Sylvain's gaze. His eyes, despite being clouded with grief, burned with the intensity of the unanswered question. "No."

"Then I'll guess it."

"No."

"Just one guess"

"No."

"Fel-"

Felix closed his eyes, ignoring the man as he jerked his shoulder away. "I have to ensure that my horses didn't run away. Goodbye."

"Wait!"

Felix paused when Mia cried out, running after him and hugging him once more.

"Thank you."

Felix let out a sigh, reaching down and patting her head. "You stay safe, okay?"

Mia nodded, hugging him once more before running back to Sylvain. Felix glanced at the ruined Fraldarius house behind him, shaking his head.

"Pathetic."

He walked across the way to where Aris was holding the horses by the reins, his face red.

"Go bury your wife, Sylvain. And forget I was ever here." He says the words over his shoulder, pulling himself up on the back of the horse. Aris stared at him before jumping up on his own horse, eyes wide.

"Dad, that was-"

"I know who it was, Aris." Felix shifted, clearing his throat. "Let's just get out of here."

"But why did we come here?"

Felix let out a sigh, glancing at his son. "I'm not sure."


End file.
